Xenia board reorganizes for 2014

By William Duffield Staff writer

January 8, 2014

XENIA — It took an extra day, but the two new members of the Xenia Community Schools Board of Education, Arch Grieve and Cheryl Marcus, have joined re-elected member Dr. Robert Dillaplain and continuing member William Spahr on the board.

Grieve and Marcus replace Steve Alex and Barbara Stafford on the board. Another board member, Lee Rose, resigned the board as of Dec. 31, 2013. Her seat is expected to be filled at the Jan. 13 meeting of the board. Interviews for that seat will be held at the board office on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and Thursday, Jan. 9.

It was a 2-for-1 meeting night with a special meeting following the reorganization meeting.

After being sworn in, Marcus was selected to serve as board president for the next year with Dr. Dillaplain vice president.

Marcus selected board members to serve on different committees for the next year. The board also moved to change the starting time of meetings from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Meetings will remain on the second Monday of each month at the Board office at 819 Colorado Drive.

The board also voted to suspend board policies 0148.1, 3112 and 4112 and any administrative directives regarding those policies for six months. The policies all call for all communication between the Board of Education and staff to be channeled through the superintendent.

Among other changes established is moving public comments earlier in the meeting to allow anyone who would like to speak about something on the agenda the opportunity to do so before the board makes decisions, and the board’s move to a new electronic programs for records and more.

“The program we’re looking at puts the agenda on line and once we make it live, the public can access it and get to look at it,” district treasurer Tracy Jarvis said. “When changes are made, they are instantaneous.

“We will also have wireless (connections) here in this building for those bringing in tablets or lap tops to follow an electronic agenda.”

Jarvis said the system would also allow the public to access meeting minutes, eliminating the need for most public records requests.